Northwest watch. Law enforcement.

`Nosy' Neighbor's Actions Net Award In Rolling Meadows

Rolling Meadows resident Julie Hanley had a bad feeling about the man she saw pounding on her elderly neighbor's door and then looking in the window.

Hanley dashed to her phone and punched in 911 while watching the man try to force his way into the neighbor's house in the 2800 block of School Drive.

Hanley continued describing the suspect's whereabouts to the police dispatcher after the 89-year-old neighbor pushed him from her door and down the stairs. The man retreated to a waiting van.

Squad cars arrived quickly and took into custody the intruder and two accomplices.

In recognition of Hanley's vigilance and swift reaction, Rolling Meadows police honored her at last week's City Council meeting. The citizen's award plaque cited Hanley, 40, for "being beyond just a neighbor."

On Wednesday, the man at the front door, Ronald Ristich, 41, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to criminal trespass to residence. He was sentenced to 364 days of home confinement through use of an electronic monitoring device he must strap to his ankle.

Earlier this month, the other men pleaded guilty to criminal trespass to a residence and other misdemeanor charges in connection with the crime and received terms of conditional discharge and community service.

Hanley said the arrest and conviction of the men should be a warning to criminals targeting the neighborhood.

"We all watch out for each other," she said. "We're all nosy."

Haven't we seen you before? An accused peeping Tom and home intruder was back in court Tuesday, where he was sentenced to 30 months' probation.

Kurt Schaefer, 29, of Arlington Heights appeared in the Rolling Meadows branch of Cook County Circuit Court to plead guilty to charges of unlawful restraint and criminal trespass to property stemming from two incidents in 1994.

Police arrested Schaefer in May 1994 after he allegedly entered a home in Prospect Heights early one morning, went to the bedroom of an 11-year-old girl and placed his hand over her mouth. He told the startled girl to keep quiet or he would kill her, police said.

The girl kicked Schaefer in the groin. The man fled, was caught and was charged with unlawful restraint.

In the autumn of 1994, Schaefer was arrested for peering into an Arlington Heights home. He was charged with criminal trespass.

In an unrelated case stemming from a July 1996 arrest, Schaefer had been convicted on a federal charge of trading child pornography on the Internet. He was sentenced to 22 months in federal prison, which he has served.

Faking out the court: A 21-year-old Chicago man who may have thought wearing a correctional officer's uniform and badge to court would help him beat a traffic ticket quickly discovered otherwise when he was slapped with a heavy fine and later charged with impersonating a public employee.

Rendell L. Mahone of the 8800 block of South Luella Avenue appeared before Associate Judge Sam L. Amirante on April 22 in the Rolling Meadows courthouse, charged with a minor traffic offense in Elk Grove Village.

The judge said he noticed Mahone had a badge hanging from his neck and asked him about it.

Mahone, who was also dressed in full uniform, replied he was an Illinois Department of Corrections officer. But Mahone was unable to provide credentials supporting his claim and later allegedly admitted to having borrowed the uniform and badge from a cousin, the judge said.

After a hearing, Amirante found Mahone guilty of the traffic violation.

Rather than finding Mahone in contempt of court for misrepresenting himself, the judge said he considered the man's actions to be an aggravating circumstance and slapped him with a $500 fine for the traffic offense.

"When I see someone with a badge, my suspicion is piqued," said Amirante, who felt Mahone was attempting to curry favor with the court.

But Mahone's troubles didn't end there.

Prosecutors charged him with one misdemeanor count of false impersonation of a public employee. He was ordered held Friday in lieu of a $35,000 bond.